Hurtigruten Ships Compared: Fleet, Size, Age and the Best Ship

Hurtigruten ships fall into two groups: seven Original Coastal Express ships on the working Bergen to Kirkenes route, and three all-inclusive Signature ships on longer port-stay voyages. All 10 were built between 1983 and 2003 and carry about 450 to 590 guests. For most UK passengers, the best choice comes down to which of those two styles suits you, then which ship has the facilities you want.

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This guide compares the current fleet by size and age, explains the routes, and covers the practical questions: UK departures, hop-on hop-off travel, drinks, WiFi and gyms. Details are correct as of November 2026.

Hurtigruten ships compared: the fleet at a glance

Guest numbers below are the maximums Hurtigruten publishes on its own ship pages. Third-party sites often quote older, higher figures from before the ships were refitted. Tonnage is gross tonnage.

*MS Vesterålen takes 274 cruise guests, and up to 516 people once port-to-port travellers are counted.

Hurtigruten ships by size

The three Signature ships are the largest, at around 16,000 tonnes. MS Midnatsol (16,151) is the biggest by a small margin. The six main Original ships are all close to 11,300 tonnes, and MS Vesterålen is about half that at 6,261. By guest numbers, MS Richard With and MS Nordkapp take the most at 590. All are small compared with a mainstream cruise ship, which is why they can reach so many small harbours.

Hurtigruten ships by age

MS Vesterålen, from 1983, is the oldest ship in the fleet. MS Midnatsol, from 2003, is the newest, so even the youngest ship is over 20 years old. Age matters less than the date of the last refit. Midnatsol was upgraded in 2026 before joining the Signature fleet, and Vesterålen was relaunched in June 2026 with 100 refreshed cabins, new Arctic Superior and Mini Suite categories, and a heritage theme drawn from the company’s past. The ships that have waited longest for a major interior update are the ones showing 2022 or earlier in the table.

Hybrid ships and the Sea Zero plan

Hurtigruten says four of its ships are hybrid-powered, and its ship pages name MS Kong Harald, MS Richard With, MS Nordlys and MS Finnmarken. On the Original ships, the battery packs and new engines cut fuel use and CO2 emissions by roughly 25%.

Looking further ahead, Sea Zero is the company’s project for a ship that sails Bergen to Kirkenes without direct emissions in normal service. The research phase finished in spring 2026. The design is 143.5 metres long with about 500 berths, a 73 MWh battery charged from shore, and two retractable wing-rigs that can add propulsion. Hurtigruten’s project page gives no build or launch date, and it calls port charging the biggest challenge. Treat it as a future plan, not a ship you can book.

Hurtigruten, HX Expeditions and Havila: who sails what

Three names get mixed up, and it matters when you are comparing ships.

• Hurtigruten runs the 10 Norway ships in the table above.
• HX Expeditions (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions) is now a separate company, with the split finalised in February 2025. It operates MS Fram, MS Spitsbergen, MS Roald Amundsen, MS Fridtjof Nansen and Santa Cruz II on polar and Galápagos expeditions. You book these through HX, not Hurtigruten.
• Havila Voyages is an unrelated competitor on the same Bergen to Kirkenes route. Its four ships (Capella, Castor, Polaris and Pollux) were built between 2021 and 2023, take up to 640 guests and run on LNG and battery power.

If new ships matter most to you, Havila is the obvious alternative. Compare inclusions carefully, though: shorter Havila sailings do not include meals as standard.

Hurtigruten itineraries: Original and Signature voyages

Original Coastal Express

The classic voyage is a 12-day round trip from Bergen to Kirkenes and back, calling at 34 ports. Shorter one-way sailings cover the northbound or southbound leg only. These ships still carry local passengers and freight, so you get a real working route rather than a resort experience. Fares for the 12-day trip start from about £2,018 per person at the time of writing, for a December 2026 sailing, with full board included.

Voyages of 11 days or more between 20 September and 31 March also come with the Northern Lights Promise: if the aurora is not seen from the ship, you get a free 6 or 7-day voyage. Our guide to Northern Lights cruises from the UK compares this with other winter options.

Signature voyages

Signature voyages stop for longer in fewer ports and include more on board. They started out in 2023 as the Svalbard Express and North Cape Express, before being brought under the Signature name.

• The Svalbard Line: summer sailings between Bergen and Longyearbyen, around 16 days on fly-cruise packages, on MS Midnatsol and MS Trollfjord.
• The North Cape Line: around 15 days in autumn and winter, with sailings from Oslo on MS Trollfjord in early 2027 and from Hamburg on MS Midnatsol and MS Finnmarken.
• Limited Collection (2027–28): three new voyages on MS Trollfjord: the 8-day Inner Fjords Explorer from Bergen, the 8-day Arctic Circle Explorer from Tromsø, and the one-way Arctic Line between Copenhagen and Tromsø.

Do Hurtigruten ships sail from the UK?

Not at present. Hurtigruten announced Dover departures on MS Trollfjord for winter 2021–22, but no UK sailings appear in its current 2027 and 2028 programme, or in its latest UK offers, which are built around flights. Check before you book, as programmes do change.

Getting to the ship is straightforward. Direct flights run from London Gatwick to Bergen, and from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester to Oslo, subject to availability. In winter, Hurtigruten also offers fixed-date charter flights on selected Coastal Express departures from Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle. If you would rather board at a British port, look at our guide to Norwegian fjords cruises from the UK, which covers the lines that do sail from home.

Life on board Hurtigruten ships

The atmosphere is relaxed, and there is no evening entertainment programme in the big-ship sense. Hurtigruten states plainly that it has no dress code, and practical layers are more useful than formalwear. Days revolve around the scenery, the port calls and talks from the Expedition Team, with around 10 to 15 lectures on a full Coastal Express voyage. Self-service laundry is on every ship, at 30 NOK (about £2.50) per wash.

WiFi

WiFi is free on all ships, but expect it to come and go on a route this remote, and do not count on streaming. Basic fare and port-to-port guests need to register with the free 1893 Ambassador programme to connect.

Gyms, saunas and hot tubs

Every ship has a fitness room. All have a sauna except MS Vesterålen, and these facilities are generally open from 06:00 to 22:00. Most ships have outdoor hot tubs, the exceptions being MS Vesterålen and MS Trollfjord. If a heated outdoor pool matters to you, MS Finnmarken is the ship that lists one.

Currency and paying on board

Onboard prices are quoted in Norwegian kroner (NOK), and the ships are set up for contactless card payment, so you are unlikely to need cash on board. Check your card’s foreign transaction fee before you travel, and carry a little kroner only if you want it for small purchases ashore.

Hurtigruten drinks prices and packages

This is the biggest practical difference between the two products.

• Signature voyages: selected alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are included without limit in the restaurants and the 1893 Bar during opening hours. Suite guests also get unlimited cocktails and selected drinks in the Røst restaurant.
• Original Coastal Express: tap water, tea and filter coffee are included. Everything else is paid for by the glass or through an add-on package. Alcoholic, non-alcoholic and wine packages are offered, and the wine package includes one bottle per day.

Hurtigruten does not publish package prices on its public pages, and they can change by voyage, so check the current figure when you book. Norwegian alcohol is generally expensive, so if you expect to have wine with dinner most nights, a package is worth pricing up. You can bring up to two unopened bottles aboard, but they are held at reception and returned at the end, so you cannot drink them during the voyage.

Hop-on hop-off: how port-to-port travel works

The Coastal Express can be used like a ferry, and this is one of the things that sets it apart from an ordinary cruise. Port-to-port tickets let you travel between any ports on the route, and bookings normally open six months ahead. The rules are worth knowing:

• Meals are not included, but you can add full board, half board or pay as you go.
• A cabin is compulsory for journeys over 23 hours, and optional but sensible for shorter overnight trips. Suites are not available.
• You can leave the ship at any stop, but it will not wait for you. If you miss it, you pay your own way to the next port.

Some calls last only a short time, so check the sailing plan on Hurtigruten’s website before planning a walk ashore.

Which is the best Hurtigruten ship?

The best Hurtigruten ship depends on what you want from the trip. Bear in mind that each departure date is tied to one ship, so choose the ship first and then look for dates.

1. Best for all-inclusive comfort: MS Midnatsol, with the freshest interiors in the fleet after its 2026 upgrade.
2. Best for UK guests on Signature: MS Trollfjord, which is aimed at the UK market and has the new 2027–28 voyages. It has no hot tub.
3. Best on the Coastal Express for lower emissions and updated cabins: MS Nordlys, MS Richard With or MS Kong Harald.
4. Best for outdoor hot tubs on a classic ship: MS Polarlys or MS Nordkapp.
5. Best for tradition: MS Vesterålen, the smallest ship, with a heritage refit. Skip it if a sauna matters.
6. Worth checking first: MS Finnmarken has the pool, but its Hamburg sailings are reported to run mainly in German, so confirm the onboard language if that matters to you.

Prices move a lot by season and cabin grade, so it is worth comparing options against our 2027 cruise deals before you commit.

FAQs

How many ships does Hurtigruten have?

Hurtigruten has 10 ships in November 2026: seven on the Original Coastal Express and three on Signature voyages. The five HX Expeditions ships belong to a separate company.

How many people are on Hurtigruten ships?

Hurtigruten lists maximum guest numbers from 452 on MS Nordnorge to 590 on MS Richard With and MS Nordkapp. MS Vesterålen takes 274 cruise guests, or up to 516 people including port-to-port travellers.

Do Hurtigruten ships sail from the UK?

No UK departures appear in the published 2027 programme. Most UK guests fly to Bergen or Oslo, and Hurtigruten also offers winter charter flights from Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle on selected Coastal Express dates.

Which is the best Hurtigruten ship?

There is no single winner. MS Midnatsol has the newest interiors and all-inclusive dining, MS Kong Harald, MS Richard With and MS Nordlys are strong hybrid choices on the Coastal Express, and MS Vesterålen is the most traditional.

Are drinks included on Hurtigruten?

On Signature voyages, selected alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are included. On Original Coastal Express voyages only tap water, tea and filter coffee are included, and other drinks or packages cost extra.